Road closures and overflow parking expected for Trump rally Saturday

SAINT CLOUD – St. Cloud State hockey fans may be used to bad gameday traffic, but expect heightened security and road closures Saturday for Donald Trump's presidential rally with J.D. Vance at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.

Although postgame traffic is bad enough as is, the crowd leaving SCSU’s hockey center on Saturday will have to deal with the additional headache of a presidential motorcade.

Having declared Minnesota a swing state, former President Donald Trump and Vice Presidential Candidate J.D. Vance are visiting St. Cloud for a reelection campaign rally at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Security is expected to be tough two weeks after an assassination attempt on Trump at a similar event.

The St. Cloud Police Department and the Stearns County Sherriff’s Department will be among the law enforcement agencies assisting the Secret Service at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center. People should expect road closures both near the event and potential unexpected spot closures in other parts of the city, according to St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis.

Trump has only had a few rallies since he was injured by rifle fire while speaking to a crowd from a stage in Butler, Pennsylvania. The Secret Service has recommended having future rallies indoors. The program is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and doors open at 3 p.m.

Need to know rally info: What to know ahead of Trump rally in St. Cloud

Walz among potential Dem VP picks: Harris campaign vetting at least 7 Dems for VP, including Whitmer, Cooper, Kelly, Shapiro

St. Cloud delegates head to DNC: St. Cloud area delegates react to Biden ending bid for reelection

Stadium capacity, not counting floor space, is 6,000, with the former president drawing that many people and more at previous events across the country. Parking is available outside the stadium, with additional lots located to the north outside Halenbeck Hall and across University Drive. St. Cloud State communications and athletics staff did not respond to requests for comment on the event.

Tickets are free and available here .

It is not clear how Trump will arrive in St. Cloud or SCSU’s campus. President George W. Bush and — now a likely presidential nominee — Vice President Kamala Harris have both flown into St. Cloud Regional Airport in previous visits in 2004 and in 2023. Bush drew more than 13,000 people to his rally at Dick Putz Field.

Contact reporter Reid Glenn at rglenn@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Road closures and overflow parking expected for Trump rally Saturday